Top 5 Lesbian Friendly Countries to Visit in 2023

Many single and coupled lesbians like to know how lesbian-friendly a country or city is before they travel. Knowing LGBTQ+ laws, how locals feel and if there are welcoming gayborhoods can sometimes be as important as knowing the top tourist attractions or restaurants. Have you been dreaming of countries that will welcome you as a lesbian? There’s never been a better time to grab your partner’s hand and hop on a plane!

Keep reading to find out our picks for the Top 5 Lesbian Countries to Visit in 2023

1. Mexico

Mexico is a vast country with something for every traveler. It has gorgeous beaches, breathtaking sea life, mountains with stunning waterfalls, volcanoes, cenotes, pyramids, magical towns, and more. Mexican culture’s deep religious roots sometimes make it difficult for rural lesbians to be out but larger cities like Puerto Vallarta, Mexico City and tourist areas offer safe spaces as well as are welcoming toward the LGBTQ+ community.

Lesbian couple showing their love in CDMX’s Pride Parade.

The larger cities like Mexico City have popular gay areas- Zona Rosa (Pink Zone), Condesa, and Roma. These neighborhoods are rich in gastronomy, queer nightlife, and cultural experiences. On the western coast you find Puerto Vallarta which has been known as the lgbtq+ friendliest city in Mexico with stunning beaches, pumping nightlife, gastronomy, and activities. The lesbian community has been growing there and you’ll find various lesbian businesses from a coffee shop, lounge bar, food tour, secret dinners, and more.

2. Taiwan

Many lesbians may be surprised to see Taiwan on our list but Taiwan is one of the very few places in Asia that has anti-discrimination laws based on orientation. Even more, in 2019, on the International Day against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia, Taiwan became the first Asian country to legalize gay marriage.

Female president, Tsai Ing-wen tweeted:

Taipei, Taiwan’s capital, is famous for its Japanese heritage and architecture and the quaint streets of the old Danshui fishing village. In the evening, find the wharf to enjoy one of the most beautiful sunsets in Taipei. Ximending is Taipei’s gayborhood, for years lesbians have gravitated to the area around the Shida night market. And since 2018, Wonder Bar and Lounge has been on the quieter side of the Xinyi District. It is almost imperceptibly hidden beneath a sign with only a “W” which subtly seduces lesbians into their women-friendly space. Inside, the all-female bartenders stand amid walls covered with instant photos of women kissing.

3. Iceland

For being such a cold country, Iceland is HOT these days! Singer Björk put Iceland on the map in the 1990s. Now the land of fire and ice is well-known for its openness towards the lesbian and LGBTQ+ community. In Reykjavík, the country’s capital, hundreds of women have flown to its “free church in Reykjavík” (Fríkirkjan í Reykjavík) to be married. In Iceland, being queer is celebrated! Lesbians and those in the LGBTQ+ community can hold hands and express themselves in larger cities and small villages. Today, Iceland attracts lesbian tourists who eagerly bathe in its deep blue lagoons, explore some of its 1000+ waterfalls, and stargaze up at the rainbow swirls of the northern lights. It’s no wonder that alongside the growing lesbian tourism, the local lesbian and LGBTQ+ culture has grown, offering: art, boutique hotels, bars and lesbian and LGBTQ+ guided tours.

Lezseetheworld.com lagoon love in Iceland!

4. Thailand

Similar to Iceland, you’ll have no problem holding hands, cuddling, or kissing on Thailand's streets. In the “land of smiles,” lesbians can genuinely be themselves. Thailand offers history, nightlife and nature from its capital city to its islands.

The capital of Thailand, Bangkok, is beautiful with its winding waterways and golden temples. And, as a busy city, it can also be dirty and overcrowded. But after a day of sightseeing at Wat Arun, Wat Pho, Lumphini Park, and the many markets, a substantial LQBTQ+ scene awaits you. While most of Bangkok’s gayborhood, Silom, caters to men, women are welcome at most of the gay bars. Since most lesbian bars in Bangkok were closed years ago, local women now host lesbian parties! Checkout the Facebook pages of Go Grrrls and Lesla Party otherwise you can pay a nominal entrance fee at Silom Soi 2 alley and find a mix scene at the bars with lesbians as well.

Two other big cities that are popular in Thailand that is very welcoming to lesbians is Chiang Mai and Phuket. Both locations have nature- beaches, forest, wildlife, gastronomy, lgbtq+ owned businesses keeping you busy and connected to the community. Phuket has a gayborhood called Paradise Complex where you can mix with the lgbtq+ community for a good dance and drag show.

Ladies Touch Travel & Madison the Promoters Phuket Group Trip all smiles!

5. Spain

Spain contains one of the largest and proudest lesbian and LGBTQ+ communities in Europe. Since 1995 Spain has put into place laws to ensure the rights and freedom of all its citizens. This includes laws against hate speech and violence towards lesbians and the LGBTQ+ community. And in 2005, lesbian and LGBTQ+ marriage was legalized.

Spain’s capital, Madrid, is also its lesbian and LGBTQ+ capital, where it hosts epic LGBTQ+ parties, festivals and cultural events. Madrid’s historical gayborhood, Chueca, contains the highest concentration of lesbian bars and is located in one of the most hip areas, with many restaurants, bars and shops displaying Pride flags. Today, Madrid’s gayborhood has expanded into the areas of Malasaña, La Latina, and Lavapies. Lesbian bars in Madrid are central to the lesbian culture. Many open early in the day and stay open until 6 am. In addition to dance parties, they also serve tapas, host sporting events, performances, protests, host cultural events. Try Escape and Club 33.

Chueca the gayborhood in Madrid, flying its pride flag proud!

Spain’s second largest city, Barcelona, may not have bars strictly for women like Madrid but Eixample is in the center and trendiest area with many mixed venues and welcoming to queer women. That said, Carita Bonita promotes queer women events, while Candy Darling Bar has a lgbtq+ mixed crowd.

Lastly, hippie and party island Ibiza, hosts Velvet Ibiza, a lesbian and women-only event every summer. It’s five days of adventures with your new lesbian and women-loving friends and offers kayaking, hiking, yoga, and a dance party every night! Outside of Velvet, Ibiza is a lgbtq+ friendly destination with it’s popular Ibiza Town filled with lgbtq+ venues and activities.

The world has become a more welcoming place for female travelers – especially lesbians. We can hold hands, walk arm in arm and cuddle freely in more and more countries across the globe. Don’t you think it’s time to explore this new world?

Written by Jane Malone

Originally from the Bahamas, Jane now travels often, writing mostly lesbian/wlw blogs and travel blogs for others. She has published a collection of love poetry, i am not lost, and is the creator and host of the Monday morning mindset podcast, Live Curious Die Wild. When she’s not playing with words, she enjoys biking, the beach and exploring. You can find her on Instagram @janemaloneauthor , @livecuriousdiewildpodcast and on all listening platforms.

It’s PRIDE Season!

Haaaaappy Pride! It’s been an amazing few weeks celebrating Pride in different cities and it’s just the beginning with still so many cities that have upcoming Pride celebrations. We kicked things off at Puerto Vallarta Lesbian Pride over Memorial Day Weekend and it was a blast! Puerto Vallarta is one of the most gay friendly cities in Mexico but it’s always been more dominated by gay men. This year we collaborated with the local lgbtq women’s businesses in Vallarta to bring a womxn’s week!

Puerto Vallarta Pride Parade

We started the week with the Pride Parade and the streets were filled with people in the community and supporters! I was impressed with the turnout and expect the parade will grow over the next few years for sure. From that we kicked off with Lesbian Owned Elixir Mixology Bar for the welcome party, then a Taco Tour with Vallarta Local Tours ( I even learned some new things about the food history in Vallarta which was fascinating), lastly our weekend parties. It was beautiful to see many women from all different backgrounds- Mexicans, Americans, Canadians, Europeans, even Asian just enjoying the music and vibe. I watched everyone with delight as I know the importance of having a safe space and that we had all week, it was worth all the work!

Sapphire Beach Club Party

Why is this important? It’s important because as mentioned for years gay men have dominated the Pride celebrations in PV. Don’t get me wrong I love the boys but truthfully it’s just a different energy when there’s more of them than us so we are hopeful to keep growing year after year and have more “L” visibility for Pride in Vallarta. Even the parade only had one float representing womxn so we hope to change that soon. Pride in Vallarta is typically the last week of May so mark your calendar to be in town next year. Vallarta has so much to offer- culture, beaches, nightlife, gastronomy, and more so make sure you don’t miss out next year as it will be a week to remember!

Details to book your Puerto Vallarta Pride Vacation will be available in the next few weeks so stay in TOUCH…

Southern Mexico’s Lesbian Vacation

When it comes to Mexico, people often think about Cancun, Tulum, Cabo, and Puerto Vallarta but Mexico has so many more gems in its big country, and we found one of them- Costa Maya! Honestly, I never heard of Costa Maya but have heard about Bacalar and was curious to check it out.

Costa Maya is in Quintana Roo between Tulum and Chetumal which are the nearby more popular towns by the coast. It’s a small port town with a growing population. What I love about Mahahual, the town in Costa Maya, is that the beach is super pretty (Maldives like) with clear warm waters and white sand. Outside of the beautiful beach, there aren’t many tourists like Cancun and Tulum making it more relaxing as well as enjoyable. The other thing I just thought about is that I never felt unsafe while being there because it’s a small town where a lot of the locals all know each other so you get that family feel.

Some of the popular excursions in Costa Maya are snorkeling, diving, Bacalar lagoon, visiting the Mayan pyramids, cenotes, and rapid river. It is said that Xcalak just south of Mahahual has some of the most beautiful reefs in the world to go snorkeling and diving. In Mahahual there are many reefs close to the beach so you can get some beautiful views there too. If you love snorkeling or diving, these places are a must! Bacalar lagoon or the 7 Colors Lagoon as they call it is spectacular. You literally see multiple colors in the water the further south you go on the lagoon. The town of Bacalar is super cute and boho but a little on the pricier side but you can certainly make it a day trip from Mahahual. Bacalar is also considered a “Pueblo Magico” a “Magical Town” which means that the government does as much as possible to preserve its beauty and nature. When vising Costa Maya, you can’t miss Bacalar and its Blue Cenote which is quite large and outdoors unlike many underground cenotes. In Bacalar I got the chance to go kayaking at sunrise and it was such a beautiful experience to be out in the lake with the sounds of wildlife around and the sun creeping up above the water.  The Rapids is also a quite unique beauty as you can float along the river, kayak, etc and see the multiple colors of the water as well as wildlife. One of the last popular excursions in Costa Maya is visiting the Mayan pyramids. Mayans were so ahead of their time and if you notice how big their civilization was, it extends from Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, and Honduras so you will find many pyramids in the Costa Maya area, some that are covered and others that have been excavated. Learning their culture and understanding what they built is a humbling experience. You see? It’s hard not to not enjoy Costa Maya and its surrounding towns when there is so much to do and see.

Costa Maya is gay friendly like most of Quintana Roo and there’s a chill vibe that you get in the south where no one is trying to be more than they are. It’s just fun beach bars on the Malecon, delicious seafood, boho style hotels, and excursions that fill up your vacation if you visit. With all that said, what are you waiting for? Start booking your tickets! If you feel shy going by yourself to Costa Maya, join our group trip this Spring March 25- Apr 1st, 2022 as we’ll be exploring the area with other like minded travel lovers! Trip details are available at https://tri.ps/6jo8g What ever you decide just make sure that you don’t miss out on this hidden gem in southern Mexico!

Lesbian Friendly Mykonos

Without a doubt Greece is one of those countries that everyone has on their bucket list. From the beautiful white houses and deep blue sea its no wonder why it is! Ladies Touch Travel had its first lesbian vacation to Greece in 2019 around Memorial Day Weekend and we had an amazing time! We first stopped in Athens and stayed overnight to then make it down to Mykonos. Once we arrived at our destination it was love at first sight! After our week in LGBTQ friendly Mykonos, it’s easy to say what are some of the top lesbian friendly things to do while in town.

#1- Visit Elia Beach- Elia Beach, a quiet beach cove in Mykonos is super gay friendly with pride flags standing tall towards the west side of the beach. On our first group trip we stayed at the beachfront Elia Beach Resort which gave us the convenience of the beautiful Mediterranean Sea right at our footsteps. Elia is a lot calmer than some of your other beaches, but many people appreciate that so if that’s the vibe you want, get a chair, relax, and enjoy!

#2- Spend the day at Jackie O Beach club- Jackie O Beach Club is nestled in the hills of Super Paradise Beach. Super Paradise Beach is another top LGBTQ spot to hang out and very gay friendly. This beach cove is a lot livelier with EDM music loudly playing all across the beach at various venues. There are several beach clubs options, but Jackie O has drag shows and LGBTQ events to keep you entertained. There are also water sports so if you like tubing, jet skiing, etc.

#3- Sail across the Mediterranean with some friends- One of the best experiences in Mykonos is to sail in an authentic Greek sailboat. These sailboats are big, with wood, and beautiful sails and the only way to truly appreciate it is by enjoying the day out in the sea. With all the great beach coves around Mykonos Island, you can spend a full day sailing. Usually, sailing tours have drinks and lunch provided so grab your friends and delight in the experience.

#4- Go shopping in Mykonos Town- Chora/Mykonos Town is the main town in Mykonos that has a lot of shops, restaurants, bars, and entertainment. The town is gay friendly and beautiful to walk through. White house’s holding business establishments with blue or red outlining around them, the windmills, and several Catholic churches keep tourists busy in this area. These streets are truly dreamy and full of history which makes it that much more unforgettable. We spent a good amount of time shopping in Chora and had some yummy Greek food afterwards.

#5- Go Gay Club Hopping- Mykonos Town as mentioned is where there are many restaurants and clubs including some fun gay clubs. On our group trip we got to go to 54 Cocktail Bar, Babylon, and Lola Bar. We danced and battled the gay bois, created a soul train line, and danced til we dropped. 54 Cocktail Bar had yummy cocktails, Babylon had a fun drag show, and Lola had a great DJ that kept us on the dancefloor so definitely check out those spots when you are on the island.

Overall, Mykonos is very lesbian friendly, although you may find more boiis on vacation there, it doesn’t mean that there’s no space for us women because there is! We were welcomed everywhere and loved the Greek hospitality! If you have Greece on your bucket list, get out there soon as its not as crowed as it usually is. Typically, Mykonos in the summer is very packed with people visiting from all over the world so it’s best to go in the shoulder season which is right before or after the summer. You’ll also get some deals on pricing as the summer is way more expensive. Ladies Touch Travel has a Baecation in Mykonos at the end of September so if you want to take your special someone for a Mediterranean getaway sign up as we have limited rooms and will sell out. Trip details are available at: https://tri.ps/Mpx7S People always think of Mykonos as the party island which is true in comparison to other Greek Islands, but Mykonos offers so much more so join us to see all the beauties that the island has to offer. See you soon in Mykonos!

Crazy for Cartagena!

Just a few weeks ago our lesbian travel vacation was redirected to Cartagena due to some of the requirements and changes in our original plans to Thailand. With all the last-minute planning I’m so grateful that the trip fell into place because we had an absolute blast! I had two months to put it together but with one of my partners from Out in Colombia, a LBGT tour company in Colombia, we recreated a similar experience in Cartagena than we were supposed to have in Phuket which was basically a fun and energetic trip!

We had a long trip flying over to Cartagena as we were coming from the west coast, Los Angeles to be exact. Midway in Miami thankfully we went to American Airlines Admirals Club to rest, eat, and wait for our next flight. Upon arrival in Cartagena, our driver was there to pick us up and take us to Ivy House in Walled City in Old Cartagena. As soon as we entered the Walled City, we all already started to fall in love with its charm and quickly we arrived to check in. After our welcome drinks and appetizers, we all showered to get ready for dinner, it had been a long day. As we headed up to the rooftop, we smelled the yummy dinner being prepared by Nelsy who was our private chef for the week. We ate and got ready to head out. There’s so much that goes on in the Walled City that it can be overwhelming at first. People trying to sell you stuff, others performing as you pass by, women working…tons of beautiful women! We navigated around town and checked out several places including Townhouse Rooftop which was a totally cute vibe with mixed music and yummy cocktails. From there we checked out some other bars but I think we were all jet lagged still so eventually got back to the villa to rest.

The next day Belkin met us at the villa for a cultural tour. She’s a lesbian tour guide and I was so excited to have her go out with us for the day. We headed over to the San Felipe Fortress, Monastery of La Popa, and enjoyed the typical street food of Cartagena. Belkin gave us deep insight to the history of Cartagena which was like other Caribbean history. It humbled us as we have it so much better than many had in the past. The following day we took a catamaran out to Playa Blanca and its nearby beaches. It was a beautiful day to soak up the sun and water considering we were there in the winter while everyone else had been experiencing cold weather. The views of the high rises as we left the city and headed to the islands were beautiful. It was definitely worth the trip. On our 3rd day of the trip, we had the day open to rest as the water is always exhausting but headed out in the evening for our dance tour. This tour was so much fun! I don’t know if it was all the music or that we had a couple of drinks before we headed out but maybe it was both! March our tour guide picked us up at the villa and we walked over to Café del Mar for some live Vallenato a traditional Colombian genre of music. From there we met May our other tour guide and we danced in the streets to cumbia which was so much fun as we were in our own world enjoying it all! From there we stopped at Parque Fernandez Madrid for a show we weren’t expecting with folkloric music as well as traditional cumbia. If that wasn’t enough, we walked over to Getsmani to the Caponera Café Bar for some salsa dancing and Champeta, an African inspired dance in Colombia! Did I mention that at every stop we had shots which was part of the tour?? Aguardiente, rum, coffee, and more rum!! By this time, we were all super giddy dancing in the middle of Getsmani and wrapped up at the last bar with some more dancing before heading back. I must say this night was a special one and the group made it even more fun!

At that point, our trip had been amazing, we had lesbian tour guides, Cartagena was gay friendly, and we never felt disrespected. On top of that, the towns colors, charm, history was a great experience. After all the dancing the night before our next excursion was to Bora Bora Beach Club in the Rosario Islands and what a great spot that we highly recommend! Of course, we had VIP service because that’s how we roll at Ladies Touch Travel but we just enjoyed our plush day beds, meals, drinks, and beautiful beach all day.

On our second to last day, we had some down time to go shopping as we were right in the middle of everything. Souvenir shops, apparel, you name it and super inexpensive. We literally shopped til we dropped! After all the shopping we got our covid tests done and had dinner before our last excursion of the week. For our last night we went out on a traditional Chiva bus ride. Chiva buses were designed to transport goods in the past but gained popularity as a “party bus” experience. We rolled around the city in the Chiva and of course DANCED for a couple of hours literally! We realized with all these tours Colombians love music and to dance, we experienced that all week no matter where we went. We didn’t mind all the energy, we fit right in! To wrap up the tour we got dropped off at City Club in Cartagena the local LGBT club and continued to dance til the weeee hours of the night. The night was filled with fun memories, and we made new friends in the process. So many beautiful people and good music!

So, what do we think about Cartagena? We are crazy about Cartagena!! If you love culture, dancing, beaches, and high energy then Cartagena has your name all over it. We loved it so much that we plan to take another group to Cartagena this Summer 2022 so stay tuned! Check in with us in a few weeks on our site for trip details. Our group trips are about creating new friendships and having unforgettable memories as we did on our trip so join us to have a one-of-a-kind experience!

Lesbian Spring Travel In Rio de Janeiro!

With how travel has been in this last year and a half, who doesn’t have the travel bug these days! There are still opportunities to travel with minimal to no restrictions and safely. It’s also a great time now to plan for the rest of the new year. While the United States is feeling the cold in January the southern hemisphere is just starting to heat up! One of our favorite places to travel to with Ladies Touch Travel is Brazil, specifically Rio de Janeiro around late February.

One of the largest events in Brazil is Carnival, but a little inside info, there are so many great festivals, block, and beach parties around Rio two weeks before the actual Carnival that are free or super low cost that it doesn't make much sense to go during Carnival to spend double the price on everything! Currently, Carnival is on schedule for February 25- March 5, 2022, so if you go right before make sure you don't miss out on these spots:

1. Ipanema Beach- Between Posto 8 and 9 is the infamous Farme Gay strip. You will see the pride flags and many gay and lesbian folks enjoying the scenery and music. This area is a ton of fun especially if you are with cool people. We have literally partied to sundown with the Ladies Touch Travel group not even realizing everyone had left the beach!! Good times indeed! Keep in mind in Brazil women typically wear thongs or Brazilian cut bikinis and men wear speedo-type bathing suits so don't be alarmed, go with the flow and enjoy the beauty!

2- Bloco Ceu na Terra- One of our favorite block parties in Rio de Janeiro happens in Santa Teresa at guess what time? 7AM!! You would think who wants to party at 7AM but thousands fill up the narrow cobble stone old town streets of Santa Teresa for an energetic party. You'll see sheroes, villains, drag queens, clowns, you name it but after all the craziness you can't help to say "that was an amazing experience"!

3- Samba School Rehearsals- There is something about the drums beating live that make the hairs on your body stand at attention and even if you don't know how to dance, you just start pumping your hips...welcome to a samba school rehearsal! Carnival is when all the samba schools in Rio get together to compete on music, dancers, and costumes so experiencing a rehearsal beforehand is a one of a kind party. We had the pleasure of visiting Comuna Que Pariu in the Lapa District and it was a blast and not to miss!

4- Lapa District- Lapa is filled with bars, clubs, and parties that go til the wee hours so drink a redbull and experience the nightlife! Rio de Janeiro is very mixed as far as the patrons. You'll find that many parties have queer and straight people all in the same room having a ball and nobody cares! There are definitely gay clubs but for the most part in Lapa everyone parties together.

These are just a few things to do while in Rio de Janeiro especially right before the actual Carnival. Make sure you have a Caipirinha and Pao de Queijo when out and about in Rio. The Cariocas (Brazilian Natives) are warm people, love to have fun, and offer great hospitality. As with most places you travel to, always travel safely! If you want to learn more about our lesbian women’s travel group and upcoming destinations email us at ladiestouchtravelevents@gmail.com or go to our travel section for more details.